A.T.M. Nurun Nabi :
A state is known by the rights it maintains, says Professor Harold Laski. “Rights are, as Hobbs described, “What we expect from others and others from us, and all genuine rights are conditions of social welfare.”
But rights are not endless. One cannot infringe upon the rights of others. Rights are based on the use of intelligence and good behaviors, none has the right to spread hatred and evils in the society. Human rights are generally based on religion, justice, customs and traditions.
Herbert Spencer said, the state guarantees only the security of rights. It does not creates rights. (Ref: Political Theory by R.C. Agarwal at page No. 181 to 184).
But in many countries of the world, the Muslims cannot properly exercise their rights. Rather they are subjected to death from severe torture. Hate campaign against the Prophet Muhammad (Sm) continues because he championed the causes of human rights.
What an India’s BJP leader said very recently about the Prophet Muhammad (Sm) reflects her ignorance about Islam and history. When the Prophet died in 633 A.D., his youngest daughter Fatima was 28 years old, while his wife Hazrat Ayesha was 25 years. Ayesha’s conjugal life lasted for eight years only, meaning that she was 17 years old when the Prophet married her. There is no historical evidence of what are said by those who are ignorant. I believe that the wrong conception being nurtured for years will remain no more. Ignorance is a curse. An ignorant man cannot exercise his/her rights, nor finds relations with duties.
The first word of the first five verses of the Quran is Iqra, meaning Read. The word Read means study, research, ponder and work. Historian Josephine Hale said, “Muhammad was such a personality in absence of whom the world would have remained incomplete. Muhammad can be compared with Muhammad only.”
Islam is a socio-economic and political doctrine. It nurtures ‘Live and let live.” No Muslim is permitted by Allah to promote hate-campaign against other religions (Ref: Sura An’am, Verse No.108). We read, “He it is Who hath sent his Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth that He may cause it to prevail over all religions (Ref: Sura Al Fath, Verse No.28). Allah Himself has certified that Muhammad is a man of tremendous morality (Ref: Sura Qalam, Verse No. 4).
The Prophet Muhammad (Sm) in his tender age, in association with others, formed an rganization named Hilf ul Fazl with the purpose of respecting the principles of justice and to establish justice, to stand by the poor, calamities affected people and the foreigners in distress.
About the duties of man and woman, the Quran, Sura Baqarah, Verse No. 177 has defined as under. It is not righteousness that you turn your eyes towards the east and the west, but righteousness is this that you should believe in Allah and the Last day and the Angels and the Books and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphan, and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggar and for the emancipation of the captives and keep up prayer and pay the poor rate, and the performers of the promise when they make promise and the patient in distress.
It is true that justice is a concept of morality. Justice implies the establishment of a democratic political institution as well as ensures rule of law, freedom of expression and thought, speech and press and equal right to vote.
Among the different kinds of rights, economic right is the most important. ‘Live and let live’ is the basic objective of an individual. It is contrary to the theory of Herbert Spencer, who advocated for survival of the fittest and elimination of the unfit.
In a society, where there is no justice, there is no right. Since every human being has right to live, what will happen to him if he is unable to work both physically and psychologically? Islam has given the solution. In that case, the state will maintain him. German Philosopher Karl Marx echoed the similar view.
But Herbert Spencer stressed on the survival of the fittest and elimination of the unfit. The Prophet Muhammad (Sm) said, workers are part of production. Hence they are entitled to the profit also. Every worker shall be given his wage before sweat is dried and the remuneration shall be reasonable. In this connection, the workers have also duty to work without creating chaos. For any problem in payment of salary and wage suddenly, call for strike should not be given.
Islam stresses on ‘Live and let live’ what the Prophet Muhammad campaigned through out his life.
(The writer is a senior journalist).
